Seasons Blog

Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake

For Thanksgiving, we wanted to add a new dessert to our holiday menu, and this recipe from Southern Living Magazine certainly fits the bill. It combines three of our favorite holiday flavors to create a luscious dessert. This alternative to traditional pumpkin pie just might become a new family favorite!

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 4 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Praline Topping (recipe below)
• Garnishes: coarsely chopped Pecan Pie-Glazed Pecans, fresh sage leaves

Preparation

• 1. Preheat oven to 325°. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Press mixture on bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

• 2. Beat cream cheese and next 2 ingredients at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until blended and smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add pumpkin and lemon juice, beating until blended. Pour batter into prepared crust. (Pan will be very full.)

• 3. Bake at 325° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until almost set. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven, with door closed, 15 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven, and gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. (Do not remove sides of pan.) Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours.

• 4. Remove sides and bottom of pan, and transfer cheesecake to a serving plate. Prepare Praline Topping; immediately pour slowly over top of cheesecake, spreading to within 1/4 inch of edge. Garnish, if desired.

 

Praline Topping    (Prep time: 20 minutes)

Ingredients

• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

• Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Boil, stirring occasionally, 1 minute; remove from heat. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Let stand 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Use immediately.

Enjoy!

Lemony White Bean Bruschetta

This grilled bruschetta recipe, featuring mashed cannellini beans and the bright flavors of fresh lemon and parsley, make it the perfect appetizer to serve your guests. It is healthy, hearty, and worth adding to your holiday menu planning.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (8-ounce) long loaf of Italian bread
• 1 lemon
• 1 can (15- to 19-ounce) white kidney beans (Cannellini), rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley leaves (for garnish)
• 2 cloves of garlic, each cut in half

DIRECTIONS:

1. Turn Oven on to Broil.
2. Slice the bread diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
3. Using the lemon, grate 1/2 teaspoon of lemon peel and squeeze 1 tablespoon of juice. In a medium bowl, with a fork, lightly mash the beans with lemon juice, peel, oil, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon parsley.
4. Place the bread slices on a sheet pan and cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until they are lightly toasted on both sides. Keep your eyes on the oven - the bread will toast very quickly.
5. While the toast is still warm, rub 1 side of each toast slice with the cut side of the garlic.
6. Just before serving, top the garlic-rubbed side of the toast with the bean mixture and sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon parsley.


ENJOY!